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Research a given historical event and explain what happened in a five-paragraph essay.
Historical Event: The Cuban Missile Crisis

Response:
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The Cuban Missile Crisis was a crucial moment of the Cold War. In 1962, tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union reached a boiling point when the Soviets began secretly placing ballistic missiles in Cuba, just 90 miles away from the United States’ mainland. This event cast the entire world into a state of fear, leading some to believe the world was on the edge of nuclear war. 

The Cuban Missile Crisis began on October 14, 1962, when President John F. Kennedy was made aware of the Soviet missile sites in Cuba. In response, he ordered a naval blockade of Cuba, forbidding any ships from entering Soviet territorial waters. This sparked a brief but terrifying clash between Soviet and American forces in the Caribbean Sea. 

After several days of tense negotiations, U.S. and Soviet officials agreed to a deal meant to end the crisis. The agreement stipulated that the Soviets would dismantle and remove their missiles in Cuba and that the U.S would agree to never invade Cuba. Additionally, the U.S agreed to secretly remove their own missiles from Turkey. With both sides backing down and compromising, the crisis was ultimately averted. 

The Cuban Missile Crisis was a pivotal event during the Cold War and it’s effects are still being felt today. Historians have compared the Cuban Missile Crisis to the brink of World War 3, for it brought the world’s two superpowers to the brink of nuclear war. Both sides learned the importance of communication and compromise, and the event became a great aftermath of their own understanding of the situation. 

In conclusion, the Cuban Missile Crisis was a crucial event in the Cold War. Both sides showed great restraint, and in the end, the Americans and the Soviets came to a peaceful accord that avoided the nuclear disaster they were close to. The key takeaway from this event is the importance of diplomacy and understanding when it comes to solving international disputes.